by Allen Say
Arthur A. Levine Books
2013
32 pages
Beautiful watercolor art bring this sweet story to life. Yuriko is embarrassed when her art teacher calls her "Eureka," and the kids begin teasing her. To make matters worse, she took in a picture of herself wearing a kimona. The students tease her for being a blonde and for wearing the kimona. "They said Japanese dolls have black hair," she laments to her father.
Yoriko wants to change her name to something more American. She tells her dad she wishes she were named Jennifer and she swears she hates art. Her father takes her to their favorite restaurant to talk things over.
After a visit to Golden Gate Park and the Japanese Gardens, Yoriko knows what she wants to create for her art project.
The father/daughter relationship is poignant and powerful. Say uses two photographs of Yoriko--one as a child and one from a trip they took to Japan--incorporating the real life photos of Yoriko with the watercolor art is genius.
This picture book is a beautiful example of family values, generational values, the importance of one family's culture, the idea of "fitting in" in society and how each person values his/her own identity.
Highly, highly recommended grade pre-K-3. The Favorite Daughter is sure to be another award winner for Allen Say and is a must have for any collection.
FTC Required Disclaimer: I received the F & G from the publisher. I did not receive monetary compensation for this review.
This review has been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)
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